1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (King James Version)

9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.Those verses above seem a little harsh. They seem to exclude a lot of people from heaven. But all is not hopeless. For you see, we are all vile sinners.

Romans 3:23 (King James Version)

23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

I think one of my favorite Bible passages is the one where Jesus talks to the woman at the well. He told her that not only had she been married 5 times but the man she was living with now was not her husband. Read her whole story here.

Now there is a woman who was committing one of the sins mentioned in the verses above, yet this man named Jesus talked to her. And after talking to Jesus, this woman went away a different woman.

Maybe you are living a lifestyle that says its okay to do those things in the first verse, but yet something’s missing. You’re not happy. You live in constant depression. And maybe you go from relationship to relationship trying to find satisfaction like the woman at the well. Maybe you need to talk to Jesus and maybe you’ll come away a new person.

Jesus came for people just like that woman. Just like you. Just like me.

Romans 5:7-9 (King James Version)

7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Romans 3:24 (King James Version)

24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Philippians 3:20-21 (King James Version)

20For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.This verse follows the first verses I listed. I kinda like it.

1 Corinthians 6:11 (King James Version)

11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

If you don’t like the King James Version(I only post in this because it is Public Domain and the other versions aren’t) please go towww.biblegateway.com for other versions/translations. I like The Message.

Saul hated Christians. He hated them because they were serving this man named Jesus who Saul thought was committing blasphemy. Saul admitted to beating and imprisoning professed Christians.

But something happened to him on the road to Damascus.

From that day on, he became one of the most famous proclaimers of the good news of Christ.

This is what he wrote after that experience:

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jewfirst, and also to the Greek.

Randy Ingermanson wrote a Sci-Fi novel called Trangression where a rogue physicist goes back in time to kill the apostle Paul. If he could eliminate Paul, then he could wipe out Christianity–just like Paul wanted to do before his radical conversion.

The truth is, persecuting Christians has the opposite affect.

2 Timothy 3

12Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

13But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

(Unfortunately, a sad truth here in the United States of America)

But this is what Paul said about his own persecutions:

2 Corinthians 12:10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Romans 5:3
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

A couple of weeks ago one of my bosses (I have several) gave me and some others small boxes of chocolate covered insects(how thoughtful of him). I’m looking at them as I write this. I can’t bring myself to eat them.

But….

according to Leviticus, eating them is better than our traditional breakfast meat of bacon, sausage or ham.

It just so happened that the same week I received the chocolate covered insects, I was reading this as part of my Bible study on the exodus:

The Agatha Christie Code comes on tonight on the Documentary Channel (Dishnetwork at 8:55 pm Eastern Standard Time). If you are a writer, you might want to consider watching it.

One of the problems I have as a writer (in the first draft especially) is the repetition of specific words. Sometimes it takes a critique partner to point out all the repetitions to me. Hopefully, I’ve gotten better in recognizing my overuse of a word.

Repetition was Agatha’s Christie’s style according to the documentary mentioned above. The “experts” went on to say that her repetitions had a hypnotic effect and kept the reader turning pages.

I wanted to see this for myself, so I picked up one of the Agatha Christie novels I have in my personal library (I have five and hadn’t read any of them).

I counted 14 remembers in one paragraph. One paragraph! Repetitions would never have gotten by my critique partners.

I have to say, despite the repetitions and reading especially to point them out, I still am intrigued by the mystery. I know if I were an unknowing reader, I would probably have never picked up on the repetitions.

By the way, I have used the word “repetition” 9 times in this blog. I wanted to try to use it more, but just couldn’t find how to make those repetitions.

33They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants[a] and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”34Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.

24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

“That pleasure which is at once the most pure, the most elevating and the most intense, is derived, I maintain, from the contemplation of the beautiful.”

–Edgar Allan Poe

I believe he was paraphrasing(whether he realized it or not) this scripture:

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on thesethings.

There are too many things in this world to get our attention. Why not clear our cluttered minds of all the stuff that doesn’t fit in with the passage above?

Psalm 37:4Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

That is such a great promise. But it is not easy to live by. The tough part of the above equation is to delight in God. It is so easy delight in my own self–seek my own pleasure, do my own thing. But when I delight in myself and not in God, even though I may be heading in the right direction, I’m just spinning my wheels, going nowhere.

He promises to give us the desires of our heart. Just like my husband and I wanted to give my son the one thing he wanted for Christmas, so God wants to give us good things.

So, this year, my one true goal, my one true purpose is to delight in the Lord — and all these things shall be added unto me. Hallelu, Hallelujah!

Matthew 6:33
But seekyefirst the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.